Yeah, it went pretty well for Iceland.

http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2012/08/top-economists-iceland-did-it-right-everyone-else-is-doing-it-wrong.html

People just don't seem to get that when you see a sharp horse trader who is the richest man in town, you know he's going to screw you in any business dealings you have with him because that's how he got to be the richest man in town. So, when he tells you "I refuse to do business with you", the correct response is "Thank you".

the value of New Zealand's currency has doubled, hurting exports and making it more expensive for tourists. Some 15 percent of the offices in Wellington's business district are empty.

Maybe they should quit trying to structure their society into an amusement park and rely on others to handle the practical concerns that keep them alive, and instead take a hint from the likes of, say, North Korea, who actually face the problems that life puts in front of them and address them with their own hands instead of passing the buck to someone else like a little bitch.

It means in the real world, there are scheming lying sneaky manipulators causing stupid people to behave in self destructive ways, and it regularly becomes necessary for the human race to purge them when they get out of hand. It's an entirely predictable response to such behavior, which makes it deserved by the recipients.

"What would Hitler be if nobody went along? A Charlie Chaplin stunt double, at best."
Yep. Proof that when the people get sick of being manipulated, just about any yahoo willing to say "Lets get those fuckers" will do the trick...

Where the hell is Hitler when you need him?

I'm so glad you're in the minority. Misleading a person into a false understanding of reality causes them real harm. It damages their ability to behave in a fashion that is sane and wise. That's why it's central to warfare, for fucks sakes.

A man who lies to a million people has caused far more harm than any serial killer or rapist, and the punishment should be that much harsher.

It doesn't matter if I am "enlightened" and see through the lies, because I'm at risk of a million misinformed men and women destroying everything I value. So, I say, KILL THE LIARS.

Christians believe their god is the same god as the Jews, but the Jews believe their prophet was a heretic. Muslims believe their god is the same god as the Jews and the Christians, but the Jews and the Christians believe their prophet was a heretic. Bahai believe their god is the same god as the Jews and the Christians and the Muslims, but the Jews and the Christians and the Muslims believe their god is a heretic.

The first three systems have proven that they grant an evolutionary advantage to their adherents, which makes them all wise. The last one needs to be tested a little longer. All of them are flawed undersandings of the universe, which is understandable, because the universe is big and the human mind is tiny.

If you can't grant them what respect they've proven themselves to deserve, you really have nothing to offer on the subject.

You must be good at doublethink to take a position like that with a sig like yours.

Well, not according to these laws :)

I'm not from the Philipines... is Truth an ironclad defense against libel there? Is demonstrable falsehood necessary to establish a conviction?

Libel means different things in different places... but, if statements of opinion are protected, demonstrable truth is an ironclad defense and demonstrable falsehood of statements presented as fact lead to a conviction, then there's no issue that I can see.

I've seen quite a lot in the news these days about "anti-bullying" legislation. Anti-bullying legislation that doesn't allow demonstration of truth to be an ironclad defense seems functionally identical to the worst possible interpretation of libel in the worst possible jurisdiction...

Well, when I can...

Frank honesty?

I react with violence against the person who lied to me.

Have you ever had vindictive people actively trying to destroy your relationships and your reputation with lies? I have, in both the professional and personal realms of life, and I'm still suffering the consequences of people I don't even know thinking they know me when they don't. What would you suggest is the appropriate response?

I got distracted... I was in such a rush to post that I dropped a cherry in my lap :P

Writing "I believe Obama was born in Kenya because blah" instead of "Obama was born in Kenya" is a pretty easy way to avoid such risk, and if everyone did so, life would improve.